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Sunday, 17 March 2013

Advice please

So I've finished the Amitie Textiles BOM The Gypsy Wife and it's a RIOT of colour. I'm a little anxious when there's so much colour and I'm wondering if I should add a border to kind of contain the riot. If so, what colour? Print or solid? About 6" wide? I'm wondering about a skinny aqua or red border followed by a wide cream or grey border then a scrappy binding but really unsure on this one. Advice and suggestions please! And while you're at it, how on earth do I quilt this baby?

Possibly using one of these cutest ever new Aurifil mini sets. Incidently I am hoping to be able to give you a chance to win some of these shortly as a little Easter gift. I mean admittedly, they're not quite as good as chocolate but they are a very close second.

67 comments:

I wouldn't go down the wide border routeGo with your layered scrappy option it's so right with the quiltAs for quilting keep it simple a x across the similar pieced blocks and the square in the square a simple open squared spiral in and out

I think maybe a red solid, followed by a white or cream either text of textured (maybe sketch) style outer border, and then a solid binding, but I've been wrong before, it's hard to tell without seeing some of the options with it! :o)

It's absolutely gorgeous Lynne, a total ripper, I love it so much, you've made a beautiful quilt-top. I love too-much-colour, there's so much to look at. I've stared and stared at your gorgeous pic, and I THINK I'd go with a middle-sized-ish border, not too skinny, not too wide - in something like Summersville cross-hatch in the blue. And then a scrappy binding but with plenty of grey and red/pinky to draw out those colours. How helpful was THAT!? ... not very .... Good luck in deciding on quilting. Can't wait to see your final pics. Catherine.

I would go with a binding that has an overall line texture - like the block that is green polka dot and I think a blue/grey (shown in your photo) OR completely opposite to that, you could pick a color that is not so prevalent in the quilt to bring to the forefront. As for the quilting itself I would keep it as simple as possible with an overall medium sized stipple type pattern. The quilt is lovely, colorful, and has a happy feeling.

I'm not much into borders, but had to say--what a gorgeous quilt!! Stunning. I think, if you do go for a border, I'd go with something like a grey or a low volume print so as to let the riot of color in the body of the quilt be at the forefront.

I would always go with a border or a really wide binding. Just to frame the work you have done. You wouldn't hang a beautiful print on the wall without a frame so why would you treat your "art" any differently. Even a cheap print would be laminated and this gives a clear frame around the image.I would use a solid to compliment all the colours you have used. I am really looking forward to seeing the finished quilt.

I'd do a very very narrow border pieced with small scraps of the fabric in the quilt. Well I would try it out first to see what it looked like and then possibly change it! I think a wide border would kill it. Isn't it interesting to read all the different opinions.

It's a wonderful and 'happy' quilt :-). I think combining colours is one of the most difficult part of patchwork. So I'm not much help, I'm sorry. But I did play a bit with part of your quilt (I needed a rectangel LOL) in PSP and put some different borders around it. I can't attach a picture here and I don't have a blog, so I temp. put it on Pinterest. I'll take it down again asap, just let me know . http://pinterest.com/dezet/for-lily/I think I like the red with lighter grey best, but that's just me :-). The middle one is with a wide off white border (it completely disappears against the background of the picture, sorry.) I used the colors that are already in your quilt.

I hope it helps a bit. As for the quilting part I'm no help at all, not a suggestion in sight ;-)But whatever the border will be, it sure is a stunni9ng quilt.Have a nice sundayDutch hugDea

I have never seen this pattern - it is great. I would not go with a border at all - some quilts do not need a border and this is one of them. I would put a narrow binding of a solid color on it. As far as the quilting - I would go with the design of the blocks. I just found you and do not know if you are a hand quilter or machine quilter. Simple quilting to make each block do it's own thing.

I think it would be fine without a border and bound in a solid (I like aqua for that.) However if you do go with a border audition it. I am thinking there is enough red in this already. I would try the aqua, but I would audition it to be sure it looks good. A medium to dark blue might pop it more. With the riot of colors a darker/muted color may work better and possible only one border. I say do lots of auditioning and go with what feels right to you.

No borders and a black solid or a black mostly print or stripe binding only. the scrappy strips make enough of a border already on most of the sides. I think the black will pop. Love it and all the color.

Love how this goes from the structured blocks down into strips, almost like paint running down the wall. I don't think I'd do a border, but that's because I think it might lose that effect if you contained it.

This quilt would look great with or without a border, but I think it neeeds a bold binding either way. If you have any more of that black polka dots on lime green fabric, that would be great as a binding. Also, I love diagonally striped bindings.

As for the quilting, I think any modern "abstract" curvy all-over design, not feathers or flowers, would look good since your blocks are all so geometric. Currently, I'm in love with the Baptist Fan design, but that's too traditional for this quilt.

I love this quilt! It's fun to read all the comments too. I usually have a border because I like a bigger quilt, but in this case I wouldn't have a border. Definitely a solid binding, maybe that orangey red that stands out in your picture, or a nice bright aqua. For quilting, I'd use a variegated or neutral colour, and something all-over like clamshells. Did you improvise this pattern?

So much fun! I like the idea of a small Aqua border followed my a light grey. I always love a scrappy binding. I would keep the quilting simple, in my experience with so much pattern going on you really don't want to see the quilting, it will just add more distraction to the quilt.

Oh, so many ideas already! I think spontaneously, thin (2.5 in?) aqua border, followed by a grey binding. I would go tonally solid (solids and blenders, close in color) with the aqua, so that the border really reads as a border, even if you go somewhat scrappy/printed, and scrappy greys for the binding. I say that because I think a little visual structure Would really help define it, and then the grey scrappy binding would be in keeping with the quilt as a whole. I think the aqua would be a good pop, whereas red could be too jarring. Love this quilt, by the way!

What a beautiful quilt. I would do a gray binding first and than a scrappy one. I think I would stay away from red too as Swedish Scrapper is suggesting. Too much "in your face" and the centre needs to POP and not the binding!I would like to see an overall quilting pattern, but I have not got a clue which one to advise you... newbee here!esthersipatchandquilt.wordpress.com

You could easily do three different color borders on this one and it would frame it in great. Perhaps two inner pops of color then black or dark blue on the outer and a bit wider one. It's a great quilt!

A border would look fine, but I think it wouldn't be wrong to embrace the riot either. If you use a solid for your binding (love the idea of aqua!) that will "contain" it a little bit on its own. But some quilts just can't be tamed, you know? :)

Personally I'd like it without a border but if I were to do one I'd pick a charcoal grey for a thin border and so,etching else for the other. Not a solid but not a bold print either, I think it would take away from the lovely

This is a beautiful top! I think I would skip the border and with the quilting do a mix of a few FMQ patterns, maybe divided up into different size rectangle spaces (so a long strip of bubbles, then a wider horizontal stripe of paisley, etc) using where the blocks join as a guide.

Thin red. Medium sized cream and scrappy binding to match main body of quilt. As for quilting I'd go for something fancy with curves or feathers. It's a shouty out quilt so I think you should play to that not shy away.

I'm in the no border camp too. I would so use a turquoise binding and insofar as quiting goes i think I would just stitch in the ditch so I wouldn't take anything away from this gorgeous top. It is just stunningly gorgoeus.

If you are going to add borders my vote is for skinny aqua and then a grey print, scrappy binding (or stripe) sounds good. For quilting, an all-over would work well because it's so busy, the only thing that speaks to me is the strips (bottom left), and they would be nice in bubbles. Love the quilt!

Like the accent small aqua, but go for something like text of has a subtle print rather than plain, IMHO :). Lay it out and look at it, p,ay around before you cut anything, if necessary, live with looking at it for a day or two before you cut!

I would most certanly not use a wide border. It's a gorgeous quilt and am afraid if you put a wide border on it it will take away from the quilt. I think no border is even better. A scrappy binding would follw through with the theme of the quilt. Can't wait to see it finished.

You might want to use different quilting patterns for each section, but I think the quilting on the whole needs to take a back seat. Maybe a wavy line? I wuite like the off centre circles that have been popping up lately as well.

Wow, I think you're going to have your hands full deciding which way to go! Everyone seems to agree the quilt is gorgeous, which it is :). If it is still too loud for you I would do a skinny gray border to frame the quilt and go with the scrappy binding. Good luck deciding, any way you go will look great I'm sure!

I wouldn't go with a border myself. At most I might put a skinny neutral border with the scrappy binding. These Amite BOM are beautiful creations. I just ordered Green Tea and Sweet Beans, and Circle Story (not sure I'm remembering the name correctly.) They look pretty time intensive, but are so interesting. Good chance to play with free motion quilting on this one and make it as scrappy as the quilt! Might take some courage. :-DHave Fun!

It's beautiful! It is a riot of color but not so riotous as to be garish. I think the colors are beautiful together. I can't tell the size of the quilt but might look good with a narrowish (1 1/2") greyish border, then a wider border of strip piecing using the fabrics in the quilt, or using just some of the fabrics if you want a slightly more unified color for an outer border. I think you've probably received way too many opinions on this question, Lynne. I'm sure whatever you choose will enhance the quilt perfectly.

I love it! I don't think it needs a border (although I'd like to see a photo of it laid on some fabric, just to check!) and I'd go for a plain (i.e. not scrappy) binding in aqua or orange (or black and white?), maybe in a dot or a sketch-like fabric. Although I've said not scrappy, I do wonder what a randomsection of different binding would look like...I think this is a quilt top that will tell you what it needs in terms of borders and quilting, you just have to wait for it to speak!

I think hand quilting with perle would look wonderful but if that gives you the heebie-jeebies then I'd go for simple machine quilting in a variety of colours, quilting each block/section in a different way, if possible...

Ooh, I think a red border and aqua binding would be lovely. I'm not sure about the quilting, though. That always stumps me. Maybe an all over curvy pattern to contrast all the straight lines? I love all the colors in this quilt.

Whatever you do will be beautiful but I say embrace the chaos, skip the border and stick with a scrappy binding. Of the back, find a print with interesting lines and then quilt this baby from the back, following the interesting lines of that back and leaving you with random-seeming quilting. :-)

I like it as is, but if you must border it maybe a small light to medium grey solid border 1-2 in finished and then a 3-5 in finished border in a green similar to one from in the top but it should have a small pattern that maybe reads solid to it. then maybe bind it in a darker, perhaps charcoal grey - no too dark just a couple shades darker than the border. You could wonky your larger border too so that the pieced delight is set off square.I am looking forward to seeing what you decide.